China: debates over the increase in retirement age
By suggesting, last September, that retirement should be increased, Dai Xiangiong, chairman of the board of the Chinese social security fund, sparked off a debate on the internet, showing a wide...
31 October 2013
Germany: because of the erosion of employers’ organizations and the crisis of the collective agreements’ system, unions call on the future government to step in to stabilize the German model
In theory, it’s a paradox.  On the one hand, in Germany, the “social partnership” has been renewed since the 2008/09 crisis, overcome with WCs and unions’ active support, and employers keep...
31 October 2013
United States: UAW enters another Faurecia plant in the South
After Cottondale, Alabama, the United Auto Workers have organized another factory of the French auto supplier, Faurecia, in the south of the US: Louisville, Kentucky, where collecting cards was...
30 October 2013
China: reforming holidays is hard
Since 2000, Chinese workers have fixed national holidays, mostly during what is known as the “golden weeks.”  Initially adopted to boost consumption after the Asian bubble burst, this system is...
30 October 2013
Italy: for its 2nd year, the “Corporate Security” award evaluates Italian firms’ commitment to security
Organized by the Confindustria employers’ organization and by the Inail (industrial accidents insurance) to promote the development of the security culture and best practices in this area, the...
30 October 2013
United States: Boeing hesitates between the south with no unions and Washington State to build the 777x
To assemble the new version of its 777, the American manufacturer is hesitating between several sites: Everett, near Seattle, its historical, unionized plant, or Charleston, the new non-unionized...
30 October 2013
Canada: Unifor, a new type of union that represents active workers and the unemployed
On August 31, 2013, at a Founding Convention in Toronto, Canada, Unifor became the largest union organization in the private sector.  It is the result of a merger between Canadian Auto Workers...
29 October 2013
Great Britain: employers at the center of the apprenticeship reform revealed by Cameron
The government presented its apprenticeship reform, which should come into force by the end of 2014.  This review plans to put employers at the center of this path, which will now last at least a...
29 October 2013
Austria: 2.85 percent pay deal for the biggest metal employers’ organization
The open strike supposed to start today, October 29, was canceled.  Indeed, last night, the metal social partners reached an agreement on wages, with an increase between 2.6 and 3.2 percent...
29 October 2013
Great Britain: employers in the food industry join forces to fight illegal labor
Major retail groups joined together within an information campaign aimed to eradicate forced labor of immigrants in the food industry.  This problem is booming and the number of reports increased...
29 October 2013
Denmark: HK convention wants to change the union to better meet its members’ needs and be more attractive
With the slogan, “Members at the Center,” HK organized its 31st convention in Copenhagen on October 24-26.  With 280,000 members – 75 percent of whom are women – it is the second largest union in...
28 October 2013
China: interview of Hubert Bazin, lawyer in Beijing, about the changes to the Chinese labor market
“For a long time, China was considered as a country with low labor costs and very flexible labor law, with flexible recruitment and layoff options, but it isn’t true anymore.”  Hubert Bazin, in...
28 October 2013
Great Britain: Ineos wins battle with Unite the union at its petro-chemical plant at Grangemouth
After the threatened closure of the petro-chemical plant at Grangemouth by owner, Ineos, the Unite union has now agreed not only to all the concessions the company was initially looking for but...
28 October 2013
Brazil: collective agreement signed in the banking industry after 23 days of strike
On Friday, October 18, the National Confederation of Financial Workers (Contraf-CUT, affiliated with the largest union confederation) signed the sector’s 22nd collective agreement for 2013-14 with...
25 October 2013
Great Britain: unions want employees to have a voice in companies’ boards
The Trades Union Confederation (TUC) hit hard, launching a first campaign asking for employee representatives to sit on boards.  Currently, there is no law containing the obligation for British...
25 October 2013
Austria: metal unions announce open strike starting on Tuesday, October 29
After the 4th bargaining round failed on October 22, affecting 120,000 of the sector’s 180,000 employees, Pro-Ge and DPA-djp, the metalworkers’ unions, decided to take a harder line and...
24 October 2013
Most viewed articles of the month on mind HR
What readers clicked on the most last month.
What readers clicked on the most last month.
1
Oliver Dietrich (IG Metall): “The advent of AI can be a means of deepening social partnership within companies”
In Germany, trade unions want to influence how AI is deployed in companies. Oliver Dietrich is an AI project manager at the regional office of the IG Metall trade union in North Rhine-Westphalia...
2
EU: social partners split over competitiveness and action on job quality
The European Trade Union Confederation and BusinessEurope have published their response to the consultation document on the European Commission's upcoming EU quality jobs initiative. The two...
4 February 2026
3
Germany: collective bargaining negotiations begin in chemical industry
Collective bargaining talks in Germany’s chemical and pharmaceutical industries are due to open this week, covering nearly 580,000 employees across around 1,700 companies. With the sector facing...
3 February 2026
4
Germany: standoff over national plan to boost collective bargaining
Under the EU Adequate Minimum Wages Directive, Germany is required to produce an action plan to boost collective bargaining coverage. That plan has stalled, however, after being blocked by the...
9 February 2026
5
Italy: new generational renewal agreement penned at UniCredit
The agreement signed on 30 December by UniCredit, Italy’s second-largest banking group, with the Fabi, First-Cisl, Fisac-Cgil, Uilca and Unisin trade unions aims to continue generational...
6
France: social partner talks extend far beyond contractual terminations
After a false start on 3 December, French social partners resumed talks on 7 January 2026 on potential changes to the unemployment insurance agreement, including the rules governing compensation...
12 January 2026